THREE WISHES

THREE WISHES Part 7

Retrieving the black ring from the ashes, I returned to the prison a week later.

After completing an important task first.

"Nash! Nash!" Mister John Blackshire exclaimed, excited to see me on the other side of the glass partition when the guards brought him out.

"Mister Blackshire."

The convicted murderer couldn't wait a moment longer. "Did you find it?"

"I did." I stated matter-of-factly.

The businessman leaped out of his chair and danced around before retaking his seat and picking up the phone receiver again. "I'm keeping my promise, Nash. One million dollars. The day they release me. One million dollars is yours. No strings attached. You're a rich man."

"I don't want your money."

A frown crossed Mister Blackshire's face. "What? Why?"

"I found it. In your house. I found the monster."

"You saw the monster? The thing which murdered my beloved Allison?"

I fought the anger brewing inside me.

"I've seen it twice now." I replied, cryptically.

"Twice? Where's the ring?" The prisoner whispered. "What did you do?"

"You lied to me. I warned you not to lie to me."

Jon Blackshire thought long and hard before answering me. "I did?"

"You said you only used one wish."

"I did? I. I. I don't remember."

"You also wished for a long life."

"I misspoke, Nash." Blackshire lied. "What does it matter now? Who cares how many wishes I used? Let me have the ring, I'll have my name cleared and we'll both be rich."

"Why not use your remaining wish for your wife to be returned to you? Or have her never killed in the first place?" I spat. "That seems a better use of your last wish than your freedom."

Jon Blackshire snarled at me and hissed. "If you met the thing, and it seems you have, then you figured this out and you damn well know why."

"So you wanted the creature to kill her?"

Blackshire's features softened. "Not like that. Not torn apart. I didn't have a choice. Nash, I thought I could trick the Jinn. I thought he'd take her only after the third wish. A wish I never planned to make. That was my plan all along. Only two wishes. Trust me." The man across from me thought for a few seconds and then offered me more money. "Five million! Five million, Nash! Think about it. Give me the ring and the money is yours."

"Mister Blackshire." I said, standing. "I already told you, some things are worth more than money."

"Where's my damn ring?" Mister Blackshire demanded.

"At the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico. Deep. Real deep. Even I don't know exactly where. I made sure the exact coordinates were kept from me and I don't even know the name of the sailor who brought me out to sea. So don't bother sending goons after me, because I have no idea where it is except somewhere in the ocean."

Tears filled the businessman's eyes. "Why?"

"Enjoy the long life you wished for here in prison, Mister Blackshire." I taunted, glancing around the prison visiting room. "You deserve every minute of it, you greedy, murdering monster."

Hanging up the phone, I walked out of the visitor area. Even far down the hallway, I could hear Jon Blackshire screaming after me. "Damn you, Corsair! Damn you!"

* * * * * * *

The CORSAIR will return!